Apparatus for holding and washing photographic negatives



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shee't 1. W. K. MOODY.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND WASHING PHOTOGRAPHIG NEGATIVES. No. 411.253. Patented Sept. 1'7, 1889.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. K. MOODY. APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND WA$HING PHOTOGRAPHIG NEGATIVES. No. 411,258. Patented Sept. 17, 1889.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W. K. MOODY. APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND WA$HING PHOTOGRAPHIG NEGATIVES.

No. 411,253. Patented Sept. 1'7, 1889.

WFFNEEEEE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM K. MOODY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND WASHING PHOTOGRAPHIC NEGATIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,253, dated September 17, 1889.

Application filed December 29, 1888. Serial No. 294,923- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM K. MOODY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Holding and \Vashing Photographic Negatives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved support or holder for photographic gelatine negative-plates during the process of washing, drying, and storing, and an improved washing-tank adapted to contain said support and subject the plates thereon to the eddying action of water, as hereinafter described, whereby rapid and superior washing of the negatives is secured.

My invention consists in the several improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side View of my improved negative-support and washing-tank, the latter being partly broken away. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the pipes which give the water its eddying motion in the tank. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 00 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of a part of the neg-- ative-support, showing negatives thereon in dotted lines. Fig. 5 represents a side View of the negative-support removed from the tank and used in connection with a sprinkler-head. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents my improved negative-support, which is composed of a horizontal base on which the lower edges of the negatives rest and a vertical support which supports the upper edges of the negatives; The horizontal base is composed of a marginal wire frame 2, preferably of rectangular form, and a series of corrugated wires 3 3, extend ing across said frame substantially parallel with each other, the ends of the wires 3being secured to the frame 2 in any suitable manner, preferably by being bent into loops or eyes around the side or end portions of said frame, as shown in Fig. 4. The depressions formed by the corrugations of the wires 3 receive the lower edges of the negatives n and keep said edges in place laterally. Said depressed portions are lower than the frame 2,which is not corrugated, so that the frame acts as a stop to prevent the negatives from moving edgewise outside of the limits of the frame.

The vertical support is composed of a wire bail 4, secured to the frame 2 at'its ends, a wire cross-bar 5, secured to the bail below its upper portion, and a series of parallel vertical wires 6, secured at their lower ends to the corrugated wires 3 and at their upper ends to the cross-bar 5, said wires 6 being secured to the higher portions of the corrugations of the wires, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the negative receiving depressions of the wires 3 are between the vertical wires. It will be seen that the lower edges of negatives placed between the wires 6 rest in the depressions of" the corrugated wires 3, their upper edges being confined between the vertical wires and resting either directly against the latter or against sliding collarsv 7, of rubber, cork, or other suitable material, placed on the wires 6, said collars being held at any desired height by friction and serving to hold the negatives so that they will not sway or move loosely between the wires 6. The corrugations of the wires 3 hold the lower edges of the negatives at about the center of the spaces between the vertical wires 6, so that only the upper edges of the negatives can touch the vertical wires when the collars 7 are not employed. Hence there is no danger 'of injury to the film by contact with the sup porting-wire 6. When the collars 7 are used, they can easily be adjusted so that they will bear only against the extreme upper edges of the negatives, as shown. Said collars are illtended chiefly for use in holding negatives when the support is to be moved about in a tank of water to produce awashing agitation, or when rapid motion is desired for drying; but when the support is stationary within the tank the collars are not required. The bail 4 enables the support to be conveniently manipulated as occasion may require.

t represents the washing tank, which is made of sufficient size to receive the support a. To the bottom of the tank are suitably affixed two pipes nu, which are connected to a source of water-supply, whereby water under pressure may be introduced into the tank. Said pipes are substantially parallel with each other, and they are arranged so thatthe base of the negative-support may rest on them, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each pipe is provided with a row of holes 12, through which water is discharged into the tank. Said holes are arranged obliquely, so that the water discharged from each pipe will take an oblique direction and form an oblique current extending across the other pipe and against one of the walls of the tank, said current being deflected by said wall and caused thereby to move toward theopposite side of the tank, thus forming an eddy or circular current, two similar currents or eddies being formed, one from each pipe, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. It will be seen that the two currents cause a constant and uniform movement of the water in all parts of the tank.

The negative-support must be placed on the pipesu u in such position that the negatives will stand at right angles with the pipes and parallel with the direction of the watercurrents, so that the water flows easily between and parallel with the negatives and is not deflected thereby. The eddying or revolv-v ing motion enables the water to act thoroughly and uniformly on all parts of the surfaces of the negatives with sufficient force to effect a thorough washing without in any way damaging the negative-film. The described motion of the water also adapts it to the washing of silver or bromide or chloride paper photographic prints thrown loosely into the tank, the negative-support being removed therefrom. The prints are kept in motion during the washing process, so that they find no place of lodgment from the motion of the water. Hence they can be washed as thoroughly as may be necessary for the elimination of the hyposulphite of soda and other chemicals requiring removal.

In the sides of the tank, near the upper edges thereof, area series of overflow-orifices 10, which are arranged to induce a continuation of the water currents or eddies, the water flowing out from the tank without changing the general direction of motion which it receives in the tank. In otherwords, the numerous overflow-holes arranged in the sides of the tank enable the water to flow easily and naturally out from the tank without changing the direction of the washing-currents. If only one outlet-passage were provided, the current that would be formed by the water in escaping would, to a certain extent, neutralize the eddying currents and prevent a thorough washing action.

The water overflowing through the oiifices w flows down the sides of the tank and may escape directly into the photographers sink, or into a trough or gutter w, attached to the lower portion of the tank, or in the form of a shallow separate vessel into which the tank is set and provided with an outlet-pipe y, Fig. 1.

The tank may be made of sheet metal or anyother suitable material, and the negativesupport, although preferably made of wire, as above described, may be made of any other suitable material, such as strips or bars of metal or wood suitably secured together. If the support be made of wire, it will be preferable to coat the same with tin after the support is constructed. The size of the support will of course depend on the work required of it.

The support may be used independently of the tank as a shelf-rack for the storageof negatives or to support glass gelatine plates during the process of manufacture or drying.

A sprinkler-head 1' may be used in connection with the negative-support, as shown in Fig. 5.

It is obvious that the wires 3 may be straight instead of corrugated, in which case the depressions which receive the lower edges of the negatives and prevent lateral motion thereof may be grooves or slots formed in any suitable way on the said wires. It will be seen that instead of the pipes u, provided with perforations within the tank, a series of independent nozzles may be introduced into the tank, each nozzle being an equivalentof one of the orifices 12.

It will be seen that my improved negativeholder furnishes an elongated support or a series of supports for the lower edge of each negativcviz., the corrugated wires 3 3 3 and single central supports for the upper edge of each negative, said central supports being the upright rods 6 6. Hence any size of negative may be supported without adjustment of the supporting devices and with the least possible contact of the gelatine film with the supporting devices.

A considerable variation exists in the sizes of glass negative-plates,owing to the irregular cutting of the glass, and this variation makes it difficult to properly support a series of negatives in a holder which receives the two vertical edges of each negative.- This difficulty is entirely obviated by my improvement.

The negatives are held independently, and each is adapted by the construction of the holder to be inserted and removed with the greatest ease and without necessity of contact of the operators fingers with the film, the horizontal movement required in removing and inserting the negative being accomplished by pressure against the edges of the negative.

I claim- 1. In an apparatus for holding and washing photographic negatives, a support or holder composed of a base having a series of supports for the lower edge of each negative, and a series of uprights attached to said base and arranged to support the central portions of IIO the upper edges of the negatives resting on the base, as set forth, said lower edges of the negatives resting midway between said uprights.

2. In an apparatus for holding and Washing photographic negatives, a support or holder composed of a base having bars or rods in which are depressions or grooves for the reception of the lower edges of a series of nega tives, and substantially vertical rods secured to said base and arranged to support the upper portions of the negatives, as set forth, said depressions or grooves being midway between said vertical bars, as stated.

3. The negative-support composed of the marginal frame 2, the corrugated cross-rods 3, secured thereto, said frame and rods constituting a base, and the bail 4 and upright rods 6, secured to said base, as set forth.

4. The negative-support composed of a base to support the lower edges of a series of negatives, and a series of uprights secured to said base, and adjustable collars on said up rights or on a part thereof, as set forth.

5. A tank having water-supply pipes at its lower portion arranged to throw currents of Water obliquely against or toward the sides of the tank, and a plurality of escape-openings in its upper portion arranged to conduct the water from the tank in opposite directions without neutralizing said currents, as set forth.

6. A tank having the pipes to u on its bottom, said pipes having nozzles or perforations arranged at such angles as to throw the water against or toward the sides of the tank, combined with the negative-support composed of the base adapted to rest on said pipes and the upright rods secured to said base, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of December, A. D. 1888.

XVILLIAM K. MOODY. lVitnesses:

O. F. BROWN, W'. O. RAMSAY. 

